Esteban In Life
by Mrs.Hermione Jane Weasley
Summary: The Handsomest Drowned Man


"Esteban." I sighed.

"That's the name he was given in a faraway village just days after his death." I felt the tears bubbling in my eyes. "Not that we had known that then."

"In life, he was Antoni Belaginni, a most fearsome pirate and captain. He was my husband, my dear, darling husband. He was nearly two meters tall and had muscles built from his piracy," I sighed, feeling a tinge of regret and longing in my heart. "His curly black hair was soft as silk and his emerald green eyes could pierce your soul. His tanned skin was gently rough and his cheeks were smooth and hairless. He had always said that people would fear a well-groomed pirate far more than an unkempt one, because well-groomed pirates have fallen from society and wouldn't be afraid to do anything to their prisoners, no matter who they were. Only an exiled Italian lord could think like that." I laughed at my statement. "Only Antoni could think like that."

"Our home and our family were all we could ask for, _Mare del Diavolo_ and her crew. He loved them as much as he loved me, and we all loved him more than anything else in the world. Our life was perfect for us. And then we took the wrong ship." I looked away, staring at the wall.

"It was a morning that I awoke alone in our wedding bed, like every other day. Antoni always woke earlier than I. I rose, pulling a dressing robe on over my cotton night gown and left the cabin in search of my husband. He was on the deck, standing at the rail. I padded up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, 'Good morning.'" I smiled, wrapping my arms around myself.

"With a huge smile on his beautiful, tanned face. 'Good morning, Marisole. Did you sleep well, darling?" He turned slightly and pulled me under his arm, holding me close."

" 'Well, before you rose. Have we made a mark this morning?' I asked, searching the horizon for a ship."

" 'Not yet. Not a soul has been on the waters this morning. You should dress, in any case. Wouldn't want you to miss the fun for being in your nightgown,' Antoni told me, kissing my forehead and then my cheek. 'The men still need to be woken. I will tend to that as you dress for the day.'"

" 'Of course.' I smiled as he walked off, looking more like a caring father than a fearsome pirate."

"It wasn't until noon that we had spotted a mark. She was a French trader, making her way to the Americas. 'She will do us well, darling,' Antoni said, buckling his sword to his belt before wrapping his arms around my waist."

" 'Aye, that she will. She looks well endowed, both in valuables and fighting men. 'Twill be an exercise for us,' I replied, looking at her. She was a beautiful ship, the _Marie Antoinette_. If she didn't put up too much of a fight, she would still be in a wonderful condition." I giggled with an impish delight, remember her.

" 'Sound the attack,' Antoni declared, looking over the rails at her. Then he kissed me soundly before standing on the railing to grab a hold of the rigging. The sound of cannons firing announced our attack. Our first wave of attackers mounted the railing and the cannons fired again. The sailors on the _Marie Antoinette_ scrambled, trying to protect themselves the best they could. Our men laughed and jeered."

"We pulled along side her and fired several more cannons into her. 'Surrender and we'll let you live,' Antoni cried to them as one of their cannons boomed and fell short in the water. Our second wave of attackers lined up behind the men on the rails."

" 'Nous ne pourrons jamais rendre!' _Marie_'s captain cawed back at us; we will never surrender. Antoni nodded and wrapped the rope tightly around his arm."

" 'Are you quite sure?'"

" 'Jamais!' Never."

" 'Alright then,' he said, and he leaned back and swung himself across the gap of the ships. The rest of the first wave followed and the second stood up on the railing, waiting for them to clear the other side. Once they were clear, we swung over too."

"Yelling and the ringing of metal on metal sounded the ship as the first wave attacked. I led the second wave, taking them to sweep the cabins for any passengers. We tied them up and led them up to the deck, sitting them in front of the mast. Most of the fighting had died down when we retuned deck side."

"Those we had left on _Mare del Diavolo_ were now sliding boarding ladders across the distance and crossing to start looting the ship. 'Alright. Charles, loot the women. Daniel, loot the men,' Antoni said, swaggering around the ship. Now he looked like the ruthless Pirate Belaginni with the sneer on his face and the swagger in his walk."

" 'Monsieur, monsieur, vous faites une erreur la plus faciale!' a young girl no older than five said, smiling at him. 'Sir, sir, you are making a most fatal mistake.'"

" 'And why is that, little one?' he asked, crouching in front of her."

" 'Parce que cela mènera à votre perte; because this will lead to your doom,' she said simply."

" 'She's a prophet, Antoni,' I whispered. They all spoke like that, no matter their age." I shuddered, rubbing my shoulders. "I never trusted prophets," I said softly.

" 'Yes, she is isn't she. What more can you tell me, cara ragazza, darling girl?' he asked, picking her up in his arms."

" 'Vous allez mourir, monsieur.' You are going to die, sir. 'Vous allez vous noyer.' You are going to drown. Our men laughed, likely at the fact that we were in the middle of an ocean when she said that. I think they found it ironic. The little prophet glared at them. 'Ne négligez pas moi-même ou votre sort sera pire; do not ignore me or your fate will be worse.'"

" 'I would never dream of it, sorella minore, little sister,' Antoni replied, kissing her forehead and setting her down. 'Loot and leave.' He gave the girl a knife. For you to release your friends once we leave.'"

" 'Merci……Esteban.' Those were her last mysterious words to us."

"We left peacefully and left every soul on that ship. We had our loot and they had not caused any more problems once we defeated them. Then we sailed away into the horizon and left them alone. They didn't try to follow us and for that we were grateful, though our moods were not light. We stopped our plundering for a time, knowing full well that our beloved Antoni was dying. We all spent the most time with him as we could. I spent the most time with him, never leaving his side. I loved him, I didn't want to lose him. After four months of our lazing, I was beginning to be sick." I laughed, shaking my head as more tears came to my eyes. "We were congratulated very much and all of our men drank for days. I was so happy." A few tears slipped down my cheeks. "And then one day, he was gone. Over the side in the middle of the night. We all felt the pain, but we had to move on. Now that we lost him, we had to return to our lifestyle. The men made me captain, for they loved me just as much as they loved our darling Antoni. They made sure I was taken care of as my belly stretched and grew." I give a small water smile. "And then, they took care of us. They still do." There was a small silence in the room.

"Mummy, why is this the first time we've ever heard of papà?" The question came from little Vittoria, my beautiful curly-haired daughter.

"Because I couldn't talk of him before, piccolo Tesoro." I pulled Vittoria into my arms. "I miss papà just as much as you do."

"Mummy, does papà know about us up in heaven?" That was Vittoria's twin, Antoni Belaginni the second.

"Yes, mia cara piccola. He's known about you forever and he will always know about you." I couldn't help it, but I pulled our children into my arms and I cried, remembering my dear, darling husband.

My Antonio Belaginni.

My Esteban.


End file.
